Rapid Spaceback. Funny name that but
Skoda's latest offering is another worthy contender. The Spaceback is a fairly
conventional hatchback design by Skoda standards. The regular Rapid, for
instance, looks like a sedan with a brief boot lid but it's actually a
liftback. You could say the Spaceback is the station wagon variant but it's
actually $200 cheaper than the one that looks like a sedan, and the cargo hold
is in fact smaller, with 135 fewer litres overall. Confused? Best not to think
too logically about this one. It's better to focus more on the form because the
Spaceback is more pleasing on the eye than the Rapid. But then that's like
saying it's better to be punched in the face than kicked in the goolies, as
neither is a great looker but the Spaceback is a good sensible buy at $29,700.
After inspecting the interior, perhaps the
Spaceback name isn't so silly after all because it has plenty of space in the
back. Within its 4.3m length the Spaceback genuinely is roomy. The luggage area
is rated at 384L, making it bigger than a Golf's, and our oversized mountain
buggy was easily loaded in under the parcel tray, while it just doesn't in the
people's car. And there's more rear leg room too. Yes, this is another
supremely practical Skoda.
The
Skoda Rapid Spaceback offers a little more interior room than conventional
hatchbacks
But it is an easy going commuter too. We
drove the TSI version which uses the 1.4-litre turbopetrol with 90kW and 200
easy flowing Nm from 1,500rpm. This little unit is refined and torquey. It's a
gem in traffic with minimal throttle inputs delivering good momentum, while it
can also handle a decent run in the hills too. It teams up with the seven-speed
twin-clutch to good effect here; just leave it in D and let it do its thing.
It's hesitant at parking speeds - it needs a smoother creep function - but
that's the only gripe with this 'box which also has a hill holder function to
ease getaways on a slope.
Given the tum of pace and the easy torque
of the turbopetrol, we'd suggest you forget about the $31,300 TDI and the whole
RUC fiasco. The TSI is rated at 5.8L/ 100km overall while a real world average
in the eights should be achievable long term.
The
Spaceback's interior is roomy, relatively comfortable and well designed
We can't grumble about the ride either,
which is fairly sorted for a torsion beam set-up while the larger wheels look better,
though the odd jolt does sneak through over the more significant bumps. The
steering is well tuned with a consistent action and weighting, if on the light
side for extraurban running but it's perfect in town.
There's a Spartan feel to the cabin, the
interior awash with black, hard plastics though a few soft touch points help
break this up. This is entry-level motoring but you do get rear parking
sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, and 16-inch alloys as standard, along with
ESP and all the air bags. The audio is basic but has connectivity options,
including Bluetooth. The panoramic roof is a $1,750 option and this car was
also fitted with the $1,250 Enhancement Pack which adds 17-inch alloys and
climate air with its more sophisticated looking control unit on the dash.
Rear
passengers will find cupholders in the central armrest
In price and size, the Rapid Spaceback
straddles segments, being bigger and pricier than most light cars (the smaller
Fabia costs six grand less) while it offers about the same space (or more) as a
compact hatch but is around $5000 cheaper. So it's a worthy in-betweener for
those who are never satisfied with the norm.
